Training at Park Lane Surgery

We are very proud to provide a number of different training opportunities in the practice. These included placements for GP Registrars, Foundation Year 2 Doctors, Medical Students, Work Experience Students and Physicians Associates. Please see below for more information about their roles with in the practice.

GP Registrars

The practice is accredited as a GP Training Practice. This means the Practice will have attached to it a qualified Doctor training to specialise in General Practice and each doctor will remain with us for a period usually of 18 months. You may therefore be offered an appointment with the GP registrar. By the time you see a GP registrar they will have spent at least 5 years at medical school to qualify as a doctor. Then they will have done 2 years working in hospitals (previously known as “house jobs”). They will then start a 3 year training programme to become a GP, during which they will spend 18 months in a training practice. So by the time you see this doctor they may well have been working as a doctor for 4 years. As part of their training the GP registrars need to video record some of their consultations as part of their assessment. You may be asked by the receptionists if you would be happy to take part in this if you have an appointment with the GP registrar. At any time you are able to say “no” to being videoed and this will not prejudice the way your consultation is viewed or handled in any way. At the end of your consultation, if you don’t wish the recording to be used, you can state this and the file will be erased. However please note that all videos are kept confidential and are destroyed when no longer required. At any time if you do not wish to be seen by a GP registrar at your consultation please feel free to bring this to the attention of the receptionist or GP. At no time will this decision prejudice your care with us.

Foundation Year 2 (FY2) Doctors

FY2 doctors have been qualified as a fully trained doctor for at least a year which they would have spent training in hospital. They are on 4 month placements within General Practice to gain experience and to help their development as a junior doctor. You may be offered an appointment to see the FY2 doctor. They will always be supported by one of our GPs and will often discuss your case with them.As part of their training the FY2 doctors need to video record some of their consultations as part of their assessment. You may be asked by the receptionists if you would be happy to take part in this if you have an appointment with the FY2 doctors. At any time you are able to say “no” to being videoed and this will not prejudice the way your consultation is viewed or handled in any way. At the end of your consultation, if you don’t wish the recording to be used, you can state this and the file will be erased. However please note that all videos are kept confidential and are destroyed when no longer required.

At any time if you do not wish to be seen by a FY2 doctor at your consultation please feel free to bring this to the attention of the receptionist or GP. At no time will this decision prejudice your care with us.

Medical Students

We have 4th and 5th year medical students from the University of Manchester. With the patient’s consent students may sit in on consultations with a GP or nurse to learn about general practice.Students are also occasionally asked, with the patient's consent, to carry out a consultation alone which is then discussed with the GP, student and patient. You may be asked to consult with a medical student before you see your GP. If you agree to see a medical student first, you will be assisting with their training and your cooperation will be appreciated. However the choice is yours and you do not need to have a consultation with a medical student if you prefer not to.

Work Experience Students

We sometimes have 6th form students from local schools who are applying to Universities to study nursing or medicine. As part of their application process they need to provide evidence of experience within these areas. You may find that a student will be sat in with the doctor or nurse that you are seeing. You will be informed that this is the case prior to the consultation and it is your choice whether they sit in on the consultation with you. Prior to their placement students sign confidentiality agreements meaning anything discussed within the consultation is not discussed further. General practice does give these students an important experience that they value and your help with this is appreciated.

Physician Associates (PA)

We are fortunate to have PA’s training within the practice. PA’s have a background in health care and are trained to work alongside GPs and nurses to help improve your care. They undergo a 2 year training programme, gaining as much experience of different clinical specialities as possible. As part of their role within our practice, you may be asked to see a PA prior to your consultation with the doctor, so that they can try and gather as much history from you and perform simple tests such as checking your blood pressure. You will always be reviewed by one of the GPs following this. If you would rather not been seen by a PA then please let your GP or the receptionist know. At no time will this decision prejudice your care with us.

We provide an self-check in facility for patients who wish to use it. The receptionists may be very busy with patient enquiries both face to face or over the telephone. If you choose to use the screen we advise you that some personal details may be visible to anyone that is waiting to use the screen behind you. If this concerns you then please book in at reception.

Appointments

You can make an appointment in person at the surgery, on the telephone or on -line. The practice is open from 08:00 - 18:30 where receptionists are available to answer your queries and make appointments.

Registration is required by patients who wish to book an appointment on-line.The link above will take you to this service. To register please present at the practice with two forms of ID: photo ID such as a driving licence or passport and a utility bill in your name dated in the last 3 months.

We offer a variety of appointments which can be booked up to 4 weeks in advance. To help you decide the type of appointment you require please refer to the explanations below.

Non- urgent appointments

There are two types of non urgent appointments, face to face consultations and telephone consultations. Non-urgent appointments may be booked up to 4 weeks in advance. If you wish to see a particular doctor then please refer to the timetable on the "opening times" page under "clinician availability". Please bear in mind that doctors do take holidays, and all the GPs at Park Lane Surgery have access to your full medical record on the computer.

Things to consider when making an appointment:

Is the doctor I want to see available on the day which I would like to see them?

Do I need a longer appointment than 10 minutes because I have multiple problems to discuss?

Urgent Appointments

What requires an urgent appointment?

Urgent appointments are 5 minutes long and can be booked each day at 08:00 and 14:00. You may require an urgent appointment for a new problem which has developed in the last 24/48hours, such as eye/ear infection, tonsillitis, abdominal pain. An urgent appointment is not to be used for high blood pressure, repeat medication, sick notes or on-going medical conditions.

Get Referred for Further Care

If your GP decides that you require specialist treatment then they will refer you. Many specialities are now referred through Choose and Book, giving the patient the choice of where to receive treatment. The GP secretary will go through the 'choose and book' system with the patient after their GP appointment.

Cancellations

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible so that we can offer the slot to someone else.

Home Visits

Home visits are available for the completely housebound. All requests for visits should be made between 08:00 and 11:00. The visit request will be dealt with initially by a practice nurse in consultation with a doctor.

Babies and children are expected to be brought to the surgery where facilities are best for their examination and treatment.

All children will be seen as quickly as possible.

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from the surgery, your employer or on the HMRC website.

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

The 'fit note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.